Jan 24th, 2025
Author: donich_admin
Little Walsingham
I stayed at the Black Lion rather than trying to camp out in a half furnished house.
It is a lovely old pub with a few bedrooms and is very warm and welcoming (worn old stone floors, roaring log fires etc). The rooms are good too – I had a massive king sized bed with a view over the shrine chapel.
The only thing that was a bit “unusual” was the plumbing. I had an idea of what was going to happen from reading some reviews, but basically when I flushed the toilet, there was a most alarming crunching grinding sound which wen on for about 30 seconds before subsiding. I think due to the thick walls and having to put ensuites into all the bedrooms, they were having to use plumbing with a very small pipe size. Anyway I was glad I knew in advance it would be quite scary.
This was my “goodbye to Little Walsingham” day and it was quite sad because I have been coming here since 1986. I had a lovely breakfast with local produce.
Then having got the house clearance people going, I went to St Peters to put a token of remembrance on J’s parents’ grave.
Then I went to the service at the Anglican shrine and lit some candles for all of us. Then I walked up the Holy Mile to the slipper chapel and the RC shrine and lit more candles.
Went back to the hotel for half an hour, walked back to Windsor House to check that everything was done and then further down the road to have dinner with some friends who had made a special pudding for me (and very good it was too).
By the time I finally got back to the hotel, I had walked over twelve miles. I couldn’t have done that a year ago.